


Third Time’s the Charm

by temporaryistemporary



Series: Awesamdad and his kid(s) [2]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Blood and Injury, Creeper Hybrid Sam | Awesamdude, Eggpire, Enderman Hybrid Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Manipulation, Mentioned Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Mentioned Wilbur Soot, Panic Attacks, Sick TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), awesamdad, bad dad phil, demon hybrid badboyhalo, only for a little bit, the egg, this is about the characters not the people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:21:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29663064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/temporaryistemporary/pseuds/temporaryistemporary
Summary: Alternatively titled: 5 Times Tommy called Sam “Dad”, and 1 Time They Actually Talked About It
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Sam | Awesamdude & TommyInnit
Series: Awesamdad and his kid(s) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2139222
Comments: 27
Kudos: 837
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	Third Time’s the Charm

**Author's Note:**

> *WARNING* (going by parts)  
> (1) none  
> (2) panic attack, vomiting, mentioned child abuse (exile), flashbacks  
> (3) attempted murder, mentioned manipulation (exile)  
> (4) none  
> (5) blood and injury  
> (+1) injuries, mentioned child neglect (literally one sentence)

(1)

  
The first time it happened had been a mistake, honest.

They had just been around the construction site, Tommy explaining little details that he wanted to make sure the hotel had, and Sam (discarding the Sam Nook persona) showing Tommy some updated blueprints he had drawn up, sitting side by side. The requested items of the day had already been collected and the sun was beginning to set. Tommy could feel his usual energy starting to wane and he yawned, trying to stifle it behind a raised hand. He didn’t want to interrupt the tangent Sam had gone on. It was important and he knew he should be listening but between the whole disc fiasco and everything else, Tommy hadn’t been getting much sleep and it was catching up with him.

“-and then I was thinking we could-” Sam cut himself off, his face, which was normally hidden behind the creeper themed mask that now hung from his belt, scrunching up in an unfamiliar emotion. “Are you alright, Tommy? Y’know if you’re tired we can just pick this back up tomorrow.”

Tommy shook his head, stopping to blow away the strands that fell in front of his eyes (maybe he should tie it up?). “It’s nothing, Big Man! Big Sam! We can keep talking, I’m really interested in that fountain thing you mentioned.”

“Ok, if you’re sure.”

“I am.”

Sam didn’t seem convinced but continued talking, and Tommy nodded along as he listened. And he was listening, he was! Even if his head kept dropping and his eyes closed a few extra seconds longer with each blink. Tommy nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand landed on shoulder but calmed as he was pulled to lean against Sam’s side. The creeper hybrid was unnaturally warm but still comfortable enough for Tommy to float between the edge of sleep and wakefulness.

He barely registered as he was picked up off the ground and held against an even warmer chest, his mind flipping between begging for sleep and screaming at him to get away from whoever was holding him. The person carrying him started walking and Tommy grumbled to himself at the movement. His eyes fluttered and he blearily looked up up _up_ , locking onto something green through his blurred vision.

“Dad?” Tommy’s voice wobbled, just barely a whisper.

The figure rumbled something back but Tommy was already slipping away again, curling into the warmth and eyes drifting shut.

Sam didn’t speak of the incident. Not after Tommy woke up in a guest room in Sam’s base, not when he sent Tommy off with a pat on the back and some extra bread, not the following days when they saw each other at the building site. They didn’t talk about it.

* * *

(2)  
  
The second time was an accident. Tommy hadn’t meant to call Sam that, truly. Why would he? Sam was just a guy that he paid to build a hotel for him. And sure, they had been hanging around each other a lot more, and maybe Tommy was enjoying all the little tasks and chores that kept him busy and his mind off… other things. Sam seemed like a nice guy but Tommy didn’t view him as a father figure. Seriously.

He couldn’t afford to put his trust in another adult just to have them stab him in the back or toss him aside.

So yeah, it was an accident. And Tommy would forever blame it on his foggy head and cramping chest. He hadn’t been feeling the best, alright? Sam couldn’t get mad at him for that. Well, he could. It wouldn’t have been the first time Tommy had been ill and had _still_ managed to get himself into trouble, even though he couldn’t recall what the trouble had been.

Maybe that was why he didn’t tell the creeper hybrid about the headache brewing behind his eyes, or the roughness in his throat that made it difficult for him to even speak. Instead, Tommy nodded along when Sam gave him his task for the day, hiding his shaking hands in his pockets and keeping his eyes on the ground as he carefully walked down the steps to exit the construction zone. He just needed to gather a bit more red dye and some cobblestone, not a big deal. Tommy was a big man, he could do that in his sleep.

The flower picking had gone rather well, Tommy ending up with just ten short of a stack. A little overboard? Probably. But Sam Nook would be proud of him, and Tommy would be lying if the thought didn’t send a pang of joy through his chest, or perhaps that was the sharp cough that threatened to burst out of his throat. Maybe a little bit of both. Tommy had even come across a small cave in the process, taking out his picaxe to mine the cobblestone and ignoring the chill that swept through his bones.

Three stacks of cobblestone and quite a bit of iron later (he couldn’t remember how much cobblestone Sam had asked for but he was sure the man could find a use for any leftover materials), Tommy was leaving the cave to a thunderstorm. Rain pelted down at a rapid rate and Tommy curled his lip at the lightning flashing across the darkened sky, reminding him of TNT falling and overlapping maniacal laughter. He quickly tugged his ( ~~ _Wilbur’s_~~ ) jacket close to him, and pulled out his ~~_Dream’s_~~ ) trident, clumsily launching into the air. After a scan of the area, he used the spear to throw himself in the direction of the hotel.

Sam was holding an umbrella over his head and rifling through a chest as Tommy awkwardly landed behind him, the hybrid turning to face him with a matching umbrella in his hand, his mask pushed to sit atop his head.

“Tommy, there you are! I was about to call you back whe-” He cut himself off as he locked eyes on Tommy’s shivering form, mouth twisting into a concerned frown and waving a hand for the boy to follow him. “Why don’t you come inside and get out of the rain for a minute? I know the first floor isn’t completely done, but it should at least keep you dry.”

“A little late for that, Big S.” Tommy huffed, holding back a sniffle, and followed the hybrid anyway. He took hold of the umbrella that was passed to him but drifted closer to Sam so he didn’t have to bother opening it.

The first floor was mostly done, only missing a few decorative details here and there. It was coming along nicely and Tommy loved it. Not that he would outright tell Sam that, it would ruin his image. His image of… he wasn’t really sure, but people seemed surprised and suspicious when he tried to be nice so Tommy had stopped trying, for the most part. He was led over to the check-in desk, after dropping their umbrellas into their inventory, Sam steadying Tommy as he collapsed into the chair behind it.

“You know,” Sam started, and Tommy snapped his head up to look at the creeper hybrid, “it would probably help if you took off that coat-”

“No.” Probably a bit rude, but Tommy couldn’t give less of fuck.

Sam looked put off by the reaction, brows furrowed in confusion and something else. “It’s soaked. All it’s going to do is get you sick.” The man paused as Tommy coughed into his sleeve, unable to hold it back anymore. “More sick than you already are, anyway. I know you don’t have any clothes you can change into until you get home, so you at least should lose the jacket.”

Tommy shook his head, and then closed his eyes as the room began to spin. He couldn’t give Sam his coat. It was his big brother’s, and Tommy would rather fight the man than take it off. In the back of his woozy mind, he knew Sam wouldn’t keep the coat ( _did he?_ ) but he couldn’t bring himself to remove the garment.

“Tommy.” The boy jumped at the tone, curling into himself and keeping his blurred eyes trained on the hybrid. “You need to take the jacket off.”

( _“Take off all your armor, you don’t need it.”_ )

“You’re freezing and this thing is only making it worse.”

( _“You don’t want to make this any worse than it has to be, do you?”_ )

A hand was reaching out to him, then. “I just want to help you.”

( _“I’m just trying to help you, Tommy.”_ )

The chair he had been sitting in toppled over as Tommy threw himself out of it, sprawling onto the floor. He hurled his back against the wall, pulled his knees to his chest and covered his head with his arms, whining softly when his hands met the leather helmet and quickly tossing it away from him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Please don’t. I’m sorry, Dream.” A forceful cough left his throat, and he heaved weakly into his knees, completely missing the horrified look Sam was sending him.

“Hey, it’s okay,” a soft voice called out.

Tommy shook his head, bile crawling up his throat at the motion. No, it wasn’t okay. He had disobeyed, and now Dream was mad. He shouldn’t argue with the man, he knew that. And now he was in trouble. His whispered apologies would do nothing to save him from punishment but he continued them between heaving breaths and sniffling.

“No, no Tommy,” the voice continued. What had he done now? “It’s okay, you’ve done nothing wrong.” Yes, he had. Fuck, he wished Dream would just get on with it already and stop messing with him.

Tommy flinched violently when a hand attempted to brush through his hair, the offending limb hastily retreating as he brought his own hand to press against his chest, wheezing between harsh coughs.

“Tommy! _Breath_ , please.” He complied and sucked in a sharp breath, choking on it and gasping in more air. “It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m not Dream.” _What?_ “It’s Sam, Awesamdude, remember?” _Sam?_ “We’re at the hotel, you’re safe. Dream is in prison. We’re at your hotel. You’re okay, everything is okay.”

The voice, _Sam_ , kept repeating the phrases until Tommy felt like he could actually breath again, a few wheezes still leaving him. He gasped suddenly, slapping a hand over his mouth and crying out weakly. Sam seemed to understand and shoved an empty bucket under his nose, just in time for Tommy to lose what little food he had in stomach. The creeper hybrid slowly reached out again, settling a warm hand on his back and rubbing soothing circles when Tommy didn’t pull away, and moving the tin after the boy had finished puking.

“You’re okay, Tommy. You’re doing great.” The hand on his back then moved to his shoulder, gently pulling Tommy against the hybrid’s side. The boy leaned into the touch, humming weakly. “There we go. Just relax and take deep breaths.”

Sam shifted where he was sitting, and Tommy whined at the movement, fist gripping the man’s shirt feebly, and tucking his feverish head against the man’s shoulder.

“Please don’t leave, dad.”

The arm around him tightened and the hybrid froze, before settling back into place. “I won’t leave you, I promise.”

* * *

(3)  
  
Tommy wasn’t sure what came over him the third time it happened. He had been panicked and confused and kind of pissed off. Being chased by two extremely experienced hunters had _not_ been on his list of things to do today, and he was regretting ever agreeing to go take a look at the egg for Sam Nook. Was the man trying to get him killed?

Tommy didn’t want to think about that. He certainly hoped not.

The egg had been strange, though, that was for sure. All red and pulsing, with twisting vines and a heat that radiated from every part of it. Tommy was sweating just from entering the room. He wasn’t sure what to think of it. He listened as Badboyhalo (in his more humanoid form) waxed poetic about the thing, voice sweet and deceptive, and watched as the half demon circled him, hands clasped and smile twisting unnaturally.

It reminded him of exile, the barely there edge of a smirk behind the haunting painted one, and crooning words that flipped between soothing and dangerous. Tommy didn’t like it. He nearly left right then and there, but the clawed hand resting loosely on his shoulder and the shifting feline eyes watching him from the opposite wall had him frozen.

Bad slowly walked him towards the massive egg, still raving incoherently in his ear, seeming to be half speaking to Tommy and answering to something only he could hear. He complied when the man ushered him up on top of the red mass, wanting to be done with whatever the hell this was, and wincing at the warm feeling when he was requested to remove his armor and shoes. The egg rumbled under his feet, nearly knocking Tommy to the ground before he caught himself. He almost gagged at the sticky spores that clung to his sleeves and jeans.

The egg was weird and Tommy didn’t like it, but he didn’t exactly hate it either. Unfortunately, the egg didn’t seem to like him. Tommy couldn’t hear what it was saying to the other two in the room, his ears only faintly buzzing from the meaningless noise, but he could tell it wasn’t good, what with the way four eyes snapped in his direction. He tried his best to fake it though, or at least buy some time while he figured out an escape route. Word vomiting was his specialty, especially if it involved annoying the shit out of potential enemies, and the two hunters in the room certainly seemed like they were becoming fast foes.

Tommy screeched and jumped to the ground as Antfrost suddenly launched at him, sword appearing in the hybrid's hand and swinging for his throat. Bad’s frown flipped completely, grin splitting apart his face as the rest of his features morphed, easily sliding into his more demonic form. He yelped again as the now almost 10ft half demon surged forward, making a run for the door and narrowly missing the sharpened claws as they collided with the ground where Tommy had been standing. He fished an ender pearl out of his inventory and threw it, landing halfway up the steps and using wood to block off the way behind him. The water at the end of the path was unpleasantly warm and bubbling but provided him the perfect escape route using his stolen trident.

Tommy exited the water and landed roughly on the wet grass, stumbling to his feet and launching himself into the air, relieved at the rain drizzling mildly from the clouds. He continued at this pace towards the unfinished hotel, feet barely touching down before he was up in the sky again, not wanting to waste time in looking behind him. His chest squeezed when he missed one of the water towers, scraping his knees on the prime path below and ignoring the dual voices calling out his name as he took to the sky once more.

The hotel was coming into view but the path was empty, Sam Nook being absent from his usual spot. Tommy aimed for the area anyway, falling gracelessly and sprawling against the wood, wheezing at the harsh landing and pushing himself to his feet. Shakily, he leant against the sign, eyes widening as they landed on Bad and Ant perching easily on top of the beacon, peering down at him with identical sickening grins.

Bad was the first to hop down, towering over the boy and tail swishing playfully behind him. “You know Ant and I are professional hunters, right Tommy?”

And the tone was so unlike the BBH that Tommy knew, chilling and mean and everything the half demon claimed to hate. He swallowed harshly as Ant strolled towards them, sidling up next to Bad and silently eyeing the boy, as if waiting for Tommy to make a run for it so he could skewer him.

“So, why don’t you just be a good muffin and come back with us to the Egg! I’m sure if you cooperate, the Egg will be merciful.” Bad was reaching for him now, claws getting dangerously close his neck, with Ant inching even closer to him and Tommy-

Tommy screamed. Wordless and loud and full of panic.

The half demon almost seemed shocked by the sound, jerking back for a moment before his eyes hardened and he reached forward again. This time he was stopped as a green figure slammed into him, sending Bad into Ant, the both of them tumbling to the ground. A hand closed around Tommy’s bicep and he was pulled to stand behind the figure, dressed in a glowing hard hat and golden chest plate. _Sam_. Against his better judgment, Tommy relaxed as the creeper hybrid put himself between the boy and the hunters.

“You two need to leave the premises immediately. Tommy Innit is under my protection and I do not take kindly to threats against him.” Sam’s voice was firm and harsh as he spoke, a faint hiss under his words. Tommy peeked around the man, watching as Bad and Ant locked eyes, before nodding once to Sam, walking past the man and out of the construction zone. Red eyes flickered to his own, and Tommy was quick to duck behind the creeper hybrid.

“They’re gone.” Sam said, turning to face Tommy now that the threat had left. “Are you okay?”

The boy glanced back to the hybrid, hands shaking by his side. Letting out a strangled noise he would later deny, Tommy buried his face into Sam’s chest, shuddering as the golden armor disappeared and the man’s arms wrapped securely around his shoulders, holding him close. “Sam.”

“Hey,” the man rumbled, “it’s okay. Everything’s alright now, they’re gone. I won’t let them harm you.”

“ _Sam_.”

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Tommy shook his head, breath stuttering in his throat as the day's ( _week’s_ , _month’s_ ) events caught up to him. The unsettling atmosphere of the egg room, the clear threats on his life (again), and the harrowing chase through the SMP. (His return from exile, the third and final bombing of L’Manberg, the fight with Dream.)

He gasped out a half sob, leaning more into Sam’s chest as the man ran a warm hand through his hair, not quite crying but having a hard time catching his breath.

“Tomm-”

“ _Dad-_ ” Tommy didn’t notice when Sam’s own breath faltered, arms squeezing him a little bit tighter. “They wanted to kill me. _Bad_ wanted to kill me. I thought- I thought we were friends. Why does everyone want me dead?”

“ _Oh_.” The hand in his hair stopped at the base of his head, holding him more firmly against the hybrid’s chest. “I’m sorry, kid. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have sent you anywhere near that thing.”

Tommy didn’t say anything to that, wheezing quietly through his teeth and fisting a hand into the back of Sam’s shirt (the awful looking floral one that he would wear as Sam Nook). They stood there for a while, just breathing and basking in the other company. Eventually Tommy got control over his lungs and the pain in his chest lessened. He pulled away from Sam, red faced, and tugged anxiously at his sleeves.

“Thanks for, uh, helping, Sam. Even though I definitely had that covered. I could’ve totally kicked Bad’s ass.” Tommy puffed up his shoulders at the soft snort from Sam. “I could’ve! I’m a big, _big_ man, Sam. I am! And BBH is all tall and shit but that means he has shit balance. Like a giraffe! All I’d have to do is take out his knees and he’d keel over.”

Sam was very obviously holding back his laughter, shoulders shaking, and Tommy grinned. “I’m sure-” Another snort, followed by a giggle. “-I’m sure you could. You’re a pretty good fighter. I mean, you’ve gotten this far, haven’t you? I’d say you’ve done pretty well for yourself.” Tommy looked up then, surprised by the sincerity in the man’s eyes, and the mask hanging from his grasp. Sam’s expression was soft, a genuine smile playing on his lips, and he gently reached out to brush away a few stray strands of blonde hair from Tommy’s face. “You can let yourself be protected sometimes, too. You’re allowed to get help. You’re allowed to _want_ help. Now, let’s get you to Church Prime so you can wash off those spores, yeah?”

Tommy swallowed, eyes dropping to his feet, but nodded. Maybe Sam wasn’t too bad.

* * *

(4)  
  


Tommy had been thinking a lot about the incidents, trying to sort out what was going on in his brain that made that small part of his mind cry out like a child for their parent any time Sam was nearby. And why that piece was silent whenever Philza, his _father_ , was around.

(Another voice in his head told him he should just _talk_ to Sam about this, but Tommy stubbornly ignored it. The idea was stupid. That voice was stupid.)

So really, Tommy could only blame himself.

He’d been in Snowchester, with Tubbo and Ranboo. (The enderman hybrid had been hanging around more and more, not that Tommy minded. Ranboo was good company, and they had an unspoken agreement to not mention a certain masked prisoner.) At Tubbo’s insistence, the three had been chopping down and replanting trees. The shorter boy reasoned that even if they weren’t going to live in Snowchester, they should still have a house in the area in case they ever needed a place to stay, and the two had agreed after some hesitation and a friendly threat from Tubbo to bunt them with his horns (and a solid minute of Tommy teasing Tubbo for being clingy).

It became a group project, helping the non-residents design and then build their home away from home. Tubbo claiming that, if he let them be, he would return to a sad shack covered in grass blocks and an eyesore of a tower, and he couldn’t have either of those messing up the cozy aesthetic he had created.

They had started with Ranboo’s first, mapping out the foundation and chatting away about what they had been up to in their own time. Tommy only half listened, mind still preoccupied with his recent meetings with Sam.

“-and the snow doesn’t hurt you?”

“Well, kind of, but not as much as the rain does. And Phil gave me this coat and some new boots, so that helps.” Ranboo hummed, fiddling with the furred hood of said coat. Tubbo nodded in response and Tommy could feel his friend’s eyes on him at the mention of the winged man, but he said nothing, only fitting more cobblestone bricks into the floor.

“He actually mentioned maybe talking to the clerics at some of the nearby villages, something about making specialty potions? Like, for helping me to not burn in the rain and stuff.”

Tubbo perked up at that, looking interested in the idea. “What, you mean like fire resistance but for water?”

“Yeah, I guess. Uh, what about you, Tommy?”

Tommy startled at the question, eyes flickering to look in Ranboo’s direction. “What about me?”

Tubbo huffed out a laugh and Ranboo grinned, ignoring the younger boy’s playful shout of annoyance. “What have you been up to, Big Man? You said something about a hotel earlier, how’s that going?”

“Oh, right.” Tommy tugged at his sleeve, thoughts drifting again. “It’s going good. Sam, uh-” He briefly wondered if the creeper hybrid minded his slip-ups, before immediately dismissing the thought. “Sam’s got the first floor pretty much done, he’s working on the second now. It looks poggers. And I have to pick up some more spruce for him on the way back, for the next few floors.”

“You’re gathering the supplies?” Tubbo asked. “I thought Sam usually did all that himself.”

“Normally, yeah. But he’s charging me probably way less than he normally would so…” Tommy shrugged, trailing off. He didn’t mind the tasks, not when every time he brought Sam new materials, the man would smile and commend him for the hard work. It made his chest warm.

Ranboo tilted his head, observing him. “You usually don’t get supplies yourself.” He commented, though Tommy could tell it wasn’t meant in a mean way. “You seem bored when you have to go mining for stuff. Even today, you kept getting distracted while we were getting wood.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t know. Sam makes it not boring, I guess.”

“How so?” Tubbo asked.

“He kind of makes it like a game, like Animal Crossing. He uses this stupid voice changer and calls himself Sam Nook and shit. And he doesn’t give me too many things to do so I’m not out all fukcing day. It’s been kind of… fun?” Tommy really hoped he hadn’t ruined it, he wasn’t sure what he’d do if he lost _another_ ~~father figure~~ friend.

“It sounds like you’re doing good, then.” Tubbo’s voice had taken on a soft sort of tone, smiling as he continued to place blocks, and Tommy relaxed, just a little bit.

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s been great. I’m looking forward to the hotel finally opening, I’ll have to give you boys the grand tour. You’ll get to see it before anyone else. It’ll be the best damn tour you’ve ever had.” Ranboo and Tubbo nodded along to Tommy’s rambling, both looking excited at the idea. “You could even come by before it’s done! You’ll have to wear a hard hat, of course. Rules are rules. But I’m sure Dad’s got extra-” Tommy stopped abruptly, face heating up as he watched his friends’ eyes widen in surprise. “- _Fuck!_ I meant _Sam_! I’m sure Sam has extra hard hats, that’s what I said. You didn’t hear anything else!”

But Tubbo was already smiling, a hand clamped over his mouth to stifle his giggling, and Ranboo grinned, ears twitching and tail swaying in amusement.

“Shut it,” Tommy yelped. “Shut the fuck up! I didn’t say that, I didn’t.”

The other boys were full on laughing now, and Tubbo walked over to Tommy, ignoring the boys sputtered cursing, and patted his arm placatingly.

“Aw, it’s okay Tommy.” Tubbo teased, pitching his voice playfully. “It’s okay if you see Sam as your dad, I’m sure he won’t mind.” He giggled, expecting Tommy to yell, to deny what Tubbo was implying and curse him out again. But he didn’t, and Tubbo quieted, eyeing his friend as he clenched and unclenched his fists in the fabric of his worn down coat, face red and screwed up in an emotion he couldn’t read. “Tommy?”

Ranboo, noticing the change in atmosphere, made his way over to them, wringing his hands anxiously. “What’s wrong? Did we upset you?”

Tommy shook his head, hair settling in front of his eyes when he stilled. He didn’t bother to move it. “You didn’t upset me, I-”

“You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”

“No. It’s okay.” He took a deep breath, before looking back at his friends. “It’s just- what if- what if I have been thinking that?”

“Thinking what?” Tubbo carefully reached out to untangle Tommy’s fingers from his jacket and lacing them in his own, squeezing his hands in a comforting manner. Ranboo leaned into the youngest boy’s side, tail curling around his arm.

“Of Sam as a- as a dad.”

“Oh, Toms-”

“It’s not like I meant to! It just kind of happened. And I keep calling him that on accident, and he hasn’t said anything about it. But I don’t know what he’s thinking! I can’t tell if it makes him mad or uncomfortable and he just doesn’t want to tell me or-”

A loud humming interrupted him, and Tommy quickly gasped in air, chest tight. He jumped when a pair of arms wrapped around him, Tubbo’s head resting on his shoulder, and another arm curled around his back, pulling them both into Ranboo’s chest, the rumbling sound increasing.

“Take a breath, Tommy. Have you talked to Sam about this?” Tubbo asked.

Tommy jerkily shook his head, “No. No, definitely not.” Ranboo made a questioning warble between the soft humming and Tommy sighed. “I don’t know how to. Don’t get me wrong, Sam’s great and all but,” he paused, chuckling humorlessly, “I don’t really have the best track record when it comes to this kind of stuff.”

Tubbo lightly nudged his chin with his horns, smiling lopsidedly. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Big Man, but neither do I. I still think you should at least _try_ and talk to him. It’s Sam, he’s been nothing but nice to us from day one.” Tommy only hummed noncommittally, and Ranboo’s humming ceased.

“I uh- You guys know I don’t really remember my past but, since I showed up to this server alone, I think it’s safe to say I’m in the same boat. Kind of,” Ranboo murmured awkwardly. “And you said you already called him ‘Dad’ a few times, and he hasn’t reacted negatively, so maybe you should talk to him. Bad things that happened in your past shouldn’t hold you back from potential good things in your future.”

Tommy huffed, slumping further into his friends’ embrace. “Fuck you for having such solid arguments.” The other two laughed and he quickly wiggled out of the hug, brushing his hair out of his face and sticking his tongue out. “You both suck.”

“Love you too, man,” Tubbo giggled. Tommy grumbled the phrase back and Ranboo chirped something that may have been a response. “Just try to speak with him, okay?”

“...I’ll think about it.”

“Good enough.”

Tubbo gave a squeeze to his shoulder, before turning back the part of the house he had been working on, Ranboo and Tommy following suit.

Tommy still didn’t know what he would say to Sam, but his friends were right. As terrified as he was of potential anger or rejection, he knew he needed to speak with the man. He just needed to find the right time.

* * *

(5)  
  


His talk with Sam would have to wait, as it turned out. The creeper hybrid hadn’t been at the hotel when Tommy returned, but it was well after dark so maybe the man had gone home. That was okay, Tommy thought as he dumped the wood into a chest and headed back to his own house, this just gave him more time to think about what to say. Maybe they could talk in the morning.

Sam wasn’t there the next morning either, which, while strange, wasn’t uncommon. The man had other projects, Tommy knew this, and sometimes he would need to take a day to work on them or collect materials. But usually he would give Tommy some kind of heads up, or a small task to do while he was away. He had checked his communicator several times while sitting on the steps of the construction site, the only alerts being from the general chat, and none from Sam.

Tommy was a little hurt, and a tiny bit surprised. He expected this from some of the others, the ones that actively sent him dirty looks and talked behind his back, but he hadn’t really expected it from Sam. Maybe the man had finally grown tired of him. Maybe he was sick of having to deal with all of Tommy’s issues. Maybe he just didn’t like-

“ _Tommy!_ ” A voice calling from down the path startled him from his thoughts and he snapped his head up, eyes zeroing in on a fluffy haired figure running his way. _Captain Puffy_.

The woman slowed to a stop at the base of the construction site, hands on her knees and breathing harshly. Tommy let her catch her breath, eyes flicking down to his communicator again, before flitting back up.

“Tommy,” Puffy finally said, “I need to talk to you.”

“Why? You’re part of the fucking egg thing, aren’t you?” Tommy spat, tense from Sam’s disappearance and the reminder of the disgusting red vines. “If you're here to try and sell me on your weird cult, I’m not interested. No solicitors at the Big Innit Hotel, thank you, go away now.”

“What? No, no. I’m not with the egg.” Puffy shook her head, putting her hands up in a peaceful gesture. “I came to talk to you about Sam.”

Tommy perked up at the mention of the man. “What about Sam? Do you know where he is?”

The woman nodded, face twisting into a grimace. “Yeah. Bad trapped him with the egg-”

“ _What?!_ ”

“-and I hate to drag you into this, but I know Sam’s been helping you, and I need help getting him out of there.”

Tommy felt uneasy at the prospect of going anywhere near the egg again, but he couldn’t leave Sam with it. The man had protected him when Bad and Ant had been chasing him, and Tommy would be damned if he let them hurt him anymore than they probably already have. He nodded to Puffy, running down the path after her when she gestured for him to follow.

They made a short pit stop at the church, Tommy declining the hazmat suit when Puffy offered it. It wouldn’t make a difference, he had already touched the stupid egg and it hadn’t done a thing.

They made it to where Puffy said the Eggpire had their meetings, and Tommy watched as the captain flipped a switch near the table, the center of it sliding away to reveal a tunnel straight down. She peered into the opening, squinting into the darkened area.

“Sam?” She called, and Tommy scrambled over to the table, Puffy leaning back and allowing Tommy to look down at the shadowed figure at the bottom.

“Puffy? That you?” Sam’s voice floated up, cracking and weak. That wasn’t right. That wasn’t how Sam was supposed to sound.

“Yeah, it’s me, buddy. And Tommy’s with me, too. We’re gonna come down and get you, okay? Just hang in there.” She moved away from the table, heading towards the door and tilting her head to look back at Tommy, still leaning over the table. “We need to head to the egg room, it’ll be easier to get him out from there.”

Tommy nodded slowly, making to move away from the hole, when Sam’s voice rang out, soft and broken.

“Tommy?”

And Tommy was scrambling back just as quickly, eyes locked onto the creeper hybrid at the bottom of the trap. “I’m here, Sam! We’re gonna get you out of there!”

The man hummed weakly in response, the sound barely making it out. Puffy tapped Tommy gently on the shoulder, gaining his attention, before walking out the door, waiting until she knew Tommy was behind her, and heading to the egg room.

They found Sam in an obsidian box, right above the red growth, and quickly set to work digging him out. The creeper hybrid looked decidedly not good, once one wall was gone and he pitched forward into their waiting arms, like a puppet cut from his strings. His breathing was ragged and his bloodied fingers twitched uselessly against Tommy’s shoulder.

“Tommy?” The man murmured again, along with something else he couldn’t catch.

Tommy swallowed roughly, trying to keep his eyes from straying to Sam’s sluggishly bleeding wounds. “I’m here.” He repeated, hoping to soothe the hybrid. “I’m right here, Dad.”

Tommy didn’t see the way Puffy turned to look at him, wrapping one arm firmly around Sam, and the other coming to rest at the man’s front, to keep him from tipping forward, only noticing when the Captain mirrored the genture on Sam’s other side.

They brought him to the church first, Tommy’s heart cracking as he listened to the man beg them to take him home, whining softly when Puffy held him in the flowing water, spores and blood washing down the drain. Sam was babbling incoherently as he was practically dragged between them to his base, Tommy feeling nauseated at what little he could pick up from the hybrid. By the time they got Sam into his bed, the man was unconscious, only soft whimpers of pain leaving his lips, as Puffy left the room, whispering something about fetching Fran and some healing potions.

Tommy was left with Sam, and he moved to perch at the edge of the bed, resting his hand against the creeper hybrid’s uninjured one.

“Don’t worry Dad, I’ll protect you.”

* * *

(+1)  
  


Sam was bedridden for nearly three days. He slept for most of the time, only waking when Puffy would bring him food, or when his mind would turn cruel and his eyes would snap open suddenly, wide and full of fear. Puffy had given him as many potions as she could to ease his pain without overdoing it, cleaning and wrapping whatever wounds were left over, which meant that a good portion of both arms as well as his torso and left calf were all covered in thick gauze. Fran had been let into the room, and she dutifully watched over the creeper hybrid from her spot on the bed, only getting up to eat and go outside, before returning to Sam.

Tommy hadn’t left much either, alternating between roaming the halls of Sam’s base whenever Puffy had to change his bandages, and loosely holding the man’s hand as he stared at the rise and fall of the creeper hybrid’s chest, worried that the motion would suddenly stop. He had been there a few times when Sam had woken abruptly, twitching and shifting his head back and forth to glance around the room, breaths growing panicked. Tommy had gripped the man’s hand tighter, moving his other to comb through Sam’s hair (like he would do for Tommy) and whispering calming words until the toxic green eyes would slip closed.

By the third day, Sam was much more coherent, staying awake for longer and quietly telling Puffy about everything he went through with the egg whenever Tommy was kicked out so the Captain could clean his wounds again, not wanting to talk about the worst of it when the child was in the room. On the fourth day, he insisted on getting out of bed, arm thrown over Tommy’s or Puffy’s shoulder as he stumbled down the hall. The fifth day came, and Sam could wobble around on his own feet. By the end of the week, he was back on the platform of the Big Innit Hotel, hard hat on but otherwise armorless, and only slightly swaying in the cool breeze.

Tommy sat next to him, both leaning back against the large sign that sat in front of the hotel. The boy’s hands waved around in front of him as he recounted some of the things Sam had missed in his absence. Then, all of a sudden, Tommy seemed to falter in his story, something about Ranboo and Tubbo and him all building a house, and Sam looked at him, lightly nudging the boy with a bandaged elbow.

“You okay?”

Tommy stared for a moment before nodding sharply. “Yeah. Everything’s all good, Big S.”

“Then why’d you stop your story?”

The boy was silent, fingers fidgeting in his lap. Sam was about to speak again, to assure Tommy he didn’t have to tell him anything he didn’t want to, when he was interrupted.

“Can I talk to you about something?”

Sam sat up a bit, tilting his head to try and catch Tommy’s eye. “Of course. Anything.”

“It’s about- _Fuck_ , why is this so-” He cut himself off, finally meeting Sam’s eyes, vulnerable but determined. “It’s about those times I called you dad, instead of Sam.”

The creeper hybrid relaxed a bit at that, relieved that it wasn’t another life threatening problem. “Alright, ok. What about it? I get that it was an accident and you didn’t mean to, so if you’re embarrassed or anything there’s so need to-”

He was stopped once again by Tommy, who hastily shook his head, “No! That’s not it. I mean-” He paused, face flushing. “Yeah, it was kind of embarrassing, once I realized that I did it, but not because I didn’t mean it.”

Sam’s heart skipped a beat, eyes trained on Tommy as he shifted uncertainty, mumbling so quietly that he had to lean down to understand what the boy was saying.

“You’ve been really nice to me, even before my first exile with Wil- And, and you came to see me after the second time, which I don’t know if I ever told you, but thank you for that. Not many of the others came to visit, especially right off the bat like that.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that.” Sam whispered, bringing a hand up to squeeze Tommy’s shoulder.

Tommy hummed lowly in response, leaning into the touch. “Well, anyway- you’ve been great, and you’ve helped me so much, even when I’m being all annoying and shit.” Sam wanted to interrupt, to tell him that he could never annoy the man, ever, but he knew Tommy needed to get this off his chest. So he kept quiet, for now. “And Philza… he was never really around all that much, always off on some stupid adventure with Technoblade or whatever. And Wilbur, well, y’know. He was the closest thing I had to a dad for a while there, before he went all batshit. I miss him, and I miss Phil, but I don’t want a replacement, that’s not what this is. I just-” He cut off and Sam slipped an arm around his shoulders, letting the boy lean against his side as he sniffled.

_“I just want someone that cares.”_

And, _fuck_ , if that one sentence didn’t break Sam’s heart. Tommy was a child, in the nicest way, and here he was, longing for a parental figure to watch out for him and protect him. Sam was happy to fill that role, for as long as Tommy would let him. The hybrid let out a rumbling sort of noise, allowing the heat in his chest to build up in a comforting sort of way, but not enough to be dangerous, as he pulled Tommy further into his arms.

“ _I_ care Tommy. And I’m so glad you felt comfortable enough to talk to me about this.” He ran a hand through the younger’s hair, watching as the boy’s eyes closed serenely, still awake but significantly more calm. “I’ve told you before, I’m happy to protect you and do what I can for you, that won’t change. And if you want to call me dad, and there’s absolutely no pressure for you to do so if you don’t want to, I wouldn’t be opposed to it at all. As long as you’re okay with it.”

They sat there for a moment, Sam carefully brushing the knots out of the boy’s locks, and Tommy pressing his head against the man’s shoulder. Then, slowly, Tommy leant back, one hand still clutching the other's shirt, and looking up at the man’s unmasked face.

“I think-” He swallowed thickly, closing his eyes again briefly when Sam smoothed his bangs out of face. “I think I’d like to call you dad, if you don’t mind.”

And Sam smiled widely, bringing the boy back into a tight hug, letting Tommy melt in the embrace. “I would be honored.”

**Author's Note:**

> I’m terrified of what’s going to happen this week with the prison :,(
> 
> On the other hand I’ve been watching everyone’s POVs of the Origins SMP and I will definitely be writing some stuff for that because I love everything about it


End file.
